Crowd Out

A world premier! Crowd Out is the concept of Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer David Lang, who first began discussing his ambitious plans with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in 2008.

A total of 3000 participants from the three cities, together with musicians, producers, directors and production teams in Birmingham, Berlin and London will be led by David Lang and internationally acclaimed choral conductor Simon Halsey. Each organisation is working with local choirs and individuals to build its own ‘home-grown’ Crowd Out company to rehearse and perform the piece.

About Crowd Out

Crowd Out is the concept of Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer David Lang, who first began discussing his ambitious plans with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in 2008.

A total of 3000 participants from the three cities, together with musicians, producers, directors and production teams in Birmingham, Berlin and London will be led by David Lang and internationally acclaimed choral conductorSimon Halsey. Each organisation is working with local choirs and individuals to build its own ‘home-grown’ Crowd Out company to rehearse and perform the piece.

Influences for Lang’s Crowd Out encompass a wide range of public singing and vocalising, including football chanting – the idea first came to him during a match at Arsenal FC’s old Highbury Stadium.

The common theme that emerges is the sense of community created through performance. The result, says David Lang, is an entirely new kind of piece and a serious musical work that anyone can perform.

It has taken a full five years – and much planning, preparation and fundraising for Lang’s project to become a reality and, in a case of international artistic collaboration, Crowd Out has been jointly commissioned by BCMG, the Education Programme of the Berlin Philharmonic and Spitalfields Music.

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